4 quarterback moves that make the Vikings look like geniuses
By Randy Smith
Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts quarterback journey has been rough since Andrew Luck’s retirement, and this year is no exception. After Philip Rivers took the team to the playoffs in 2020, they decided the Carson Wentz experiment wasn’t worth it and looked elsewhere.
Elsewhere was the Atlanta Falcons, who traded their once-franchise quarterback Matt Ryan to the Colts for a third-round pick in the 2022 draft. Atlanta decided to move on to Marcus Mariota, while also drafting Desmond Ridder.
For the Colts, Ryan’s start has been less-than-ideal, with five touchdown passes to seven interceptions, and a 2-2-1 start with his new team. While his future in 2023 is unknown, a dead cap hit of $18 million may force the team to keep him while looking for the heir apparent.
With a sluggish start and a draft pick for a hefty contract, the Colts aren’t exactly seeing their return on investment with Ryan. Another revolving door of journeymen and veterans that doesn’t help the Colts’ glaring problem.
While obtaining Ryan may have never been a scenario for the Vikings, there’s not much argument that Cousins and Minnesota are better off than the Colts, or any team that was in dire need of a journeyman quarterback this season.